Safety razor



SAFETY RAZOR Filed Dec. '7, 1955 INVENTOR. AUGUST G. MAss SAFETY RAEZIDR August G. Mass, Cincinnati, @hie Application December 7, 1953,8erialNo. 396,434

3 illaims. (Cl. Fin-430.5)

This invention relates to safety razors for double edge blades and having a handle a guard or'other bladesupporting member, and a cap for clamping a blade thereon.

An object of this invention is to provide for doubleedged blades, a safety razor which may be once grasped in the hand and used to shavelthe face and neck with out changing the grasp and while using both bladeedges.

Another object of this invention is to provide a permanently assembled safety razor having a hollow handle extending between blade supporting and clamping means, and clamping means controls, and. a unitary cap-actuating stem extending through the hollow handle having a central portion thereof flexible and of ribbon shape, to permit co-operative alignment of a portion of the stem with cap-actuating means located at the end of said handle remote from thecap.

A further object of the invention is to provide a safety razor for double-edged blades, having ahandle comprising two straightuportions joined iatsan obtuse angle .and having their axes lying in aplane perpendicularto the plane of the blade edges.

.A further object of the invention is to provide a razor of the permanently-assembled type, wherein an actuating rod, comprising part .of the cap-actuating linkage, extends through the hollow handle into co-operative engagement with cap-actuating "means disposed adjacent the end of the handleremote frontthe cap, said stem having a central portion of ribbon shape adapted for axial flexation, and resistant to axial twisting, whereby the stem may be reciprocated within a hollow handle having an obtuse bend intermediate two straight end portions thereof.

A further object of this invention is to provide a safety razor which may be held with the grip as a straight razor, for shaving more rapidly and with greater safety.

The above stated objects, as well as other objects and features of this invention, will be apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art to which it pertains, from the following description and the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figures 1 and 2 are views in side elevation of a permanently-assembled safety razor embodying a form of the invention, portions thereof being broken away to more clearly illustrate details of construction and co-operation between the various parts; and

Fig. 3 is a view in cross section, taken at line Ill-lll in Fig. 2.

Heretofore, it has been customary to make safety razors for double-edged blades with the axis of the razor handle extending perpendicularly to the plane in which the blade edges normally lie when the razor is in as sembled, operative condition. In using such razors, they must be turned as a unit from time to time, to effect substantially even distribution of wear between the two edges of the blade, which operation necessitates freatented July 10, .1956

quent re-gripping of the razor. Further, it is dilficult to shave the neck and beneath the jaw, particularly immediately beneath the jaw bone, with the razor having a handle so disposed relative to the blade edges.

in the drawing I show a razor having a guard 25 adapted to support a double-edged razorblade 2 upon surface 3, and a split cap 20, 21 adapted to conform blade 2 to the surface 3 of guard 25. Spider22 is provided with means, such as an indexing rib adapted to co-operate with blade 2, whereby guard 25, blade '2 and cap 2t), 211 may be aligned in operative relationship.

There are various styles of permanently assembled safety razors for double-edged blades. Some have a one-piece cap secured to one end of a rigid straight actuating stem, while others have a split cap provided with suitable linkage connecting the partsthereof to a rigid-straight actuating stem. However, in'both types of razors, the straight rigid actuating stem reciprocates axially within the handle in a straight-line, non-rotating fashion, and such reciprocation is effected by actuating means disposed at the end of the handle, remote from the guard and cap.

I have shown in Figs. 1 and 2 a razor having a split cap comprising members Zfiand Zllpivotally secured to spider 22 for swinging about spaced parallel axesiZFw and 24, from closedposition, as illustrated in Fig. 1, to open position as illustrated inFig. 2. A guardZS and a handle 26 are secured together at 27 by suitable means such as welding, or a flared flange 28 forming part of handle26, as shown in Fig. 2. A stem 29 passes through a central bore of the assembled parts, guard ZSand handle 26, for operatively joining actuating. head 36 and spider 22, whereby axial rotation of actuating head3-li effects simultaneous opening and closing ofcaps 20 and Zl.

Handle as, as illustrated in Figs. land 2, comprises a hollow, sleeve-like member 31 having an axial there 32. Flange is disposed axially about one month of bore "52, and ashoulder'of'reduced diameter'SS is provided adjacent the opposite endofmember '31. A tubular memberd l having aninterior bore 35 'is .secured to member-iii with shoulder received inbore 35. Tubular member 34 is bent at 36 so that the portion of member 34 receiving shoulder 33 is disposed at an obtuse angle to the straight portion of member 34, which substantially comprises the remaining portion of member 34. The magnitude of the obtuse angle included between the two straight portions of member 3d may vary; however, I prefer that that angle be of a magnitude of approximately to l65. An annular groove 37 may be rolled in member 34 adjacent end 38 thereof, to provide an annular projection 37a in bore 35. Actuating head 30, as illustrated, has an external diameter substantially equal to that of tubular member 34, with a shoulder of reduced diameter adapted to be rotatably received in bore 35. Shoulder 39 has an annular groove 40, adapted to co-operate with the annular projection 37:: when parts 3t? and 34 are in assembled relation, as illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. As shown in Fig. l, actuating head 30 has an axial bore li, a portion of which is substantially smooth, while the remainder thereof is threaded and of reduced diameter.

Stem 29 comprises a rigid portion which may be of cylindrical shape provided with a diametral slot 43 adapted to receive a blade indexing portion of spider 22. As shown in Fig. 2, a pin 44 may secure spider 22 in slot 43. The other end of member 42 may be provided with a projection d5 having at least one substantially axial and diametral face parallel to slot 43. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, such a face is provided by cutting away a portion of member 42 so as to leave a projection 45 of substantially half round section. A

flat, flexible member 46 of ribbon-shape is secured at 47 in flatwise, overlapping relation to the fiat face of projection 45. The end 47a of flexible member 46 is similarly secured to a similar projection 43, of mem ber 49. Member 49 is substantially cylindrical and, as shown, is provided with external threads adapted to cooperate with the internal threads in the axial bore 41 of head 30.

When the various parts of the razor shown in Figs. 1 and 2 are assembled, the external threads on member 49 are in co-operative engagement with the internal threads of bore 41 in head 30, which latter member is secured against axial displacement relative to member 34, by annular projection 37a. Rotation of member 30 effects axial translatory movement of member 49 comprising part of the stem 29 held in non-rotating relationship to head 30 by spider 22 which is in engagement with guard 25 secured to handle 26. The axial translatory motion of member 49 is transmitted by parts 46 and 42, comprising the remainder of stem 29, to eflect opening or closing of caps 20 and 21, depending upon the direction of rotation of head 30. Flexible member 46 substantially absorbs distorting forces de veloped by reason of the reciprocation of members 42 and 49 along intersecting axes, thereby permitting stem 29 to reciprocate freely under control of head 30. The member 49 may be provided with a stop to preclude disengagement of members 30 and 49 adapted to engage face 51 of actuating head 30. Such a stop may be the head of a screw 50 threadedly engaged with member 49 as shown in Fig. 1. I prefer that the threads of the screw 50 and the external threads on member 49 be of the opposite hand. That is to say, that if the external threads on member 49 are right-hand threads, the threads upon screw 50 would preferably be lefthand threads.

The safety razor illustrated in the drawing and described above is subject to structural modification with out departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A safety razor for double-edged blades, comprising an elongate hollow handle having two straight portions joined by an obtuse bend spaced from the ends of said handle, a centrally apertured blade-supporting guard secured to one end of said handle perpendicular to the axis of the adjacent straight portion thereof, the major axis of said guard being perpendicular to the plane of the axes of the straight portions of said handle, and the central aperture in said guard being in registry with the mouth of said hollow barrel, blade-positioning means, a cap positively movable toward and away from said guard for clamping a blade thereagainst, a stem reciprocable in said hollow handle and having a resilient central portion adjacent the bend in said handle and two rigid end portions joined in tandem, means securing one end of said stem to said cap and blade-positioning means, means co-operating with the other end portion of said stem and the handle for effecting reciprocation of said stem in said handle, to positively move said cap toward and away from said guard for clamping and releasing a blade thereagainst.

2. A safety razor which comprises a blade backup member, a blade-holding means having an actuating lug projecting through the backup member substantially perpendicular thereto, a flexible ribbon member attached to said lug, a tubular handle attached to the backup member and surrounding the ribbon member, said handle having a head portion substantially perpendicular to, and adjacent the backup member, and a main portion connected to the head portion at an obtuse angle thereto, and means mounted on the main portion of the handle engageable with the ribbon, to draw the ribbon along the handle to cause a blade-holding means to engage a blade and hold the blade against the backup member.

3. A razor in accordance with claim 2 characterized by the fact that the obtuse angle is approximately References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,116,448 Lawson Nov. 10, 1914 2,009,272 Muros July 23, 1935 2,343,343 Testi Mar. 7, 1944 FOREIGN PATENTS 550,149 France Dec. 6, 1922 916,376 France Aug. 19, 1946 

